Maid For You 4

Chapter 16

I picked up the phone and answered, "Hey, Prince Coleman."

"Well, well, you finally answered me," his deep voice said.

"I've been busy," I told him.

"Have you now? Busy doing what?"

"I've been taking dancing lessons, um...you know, stuff like that. Eating meals with Nikolas and whatnot."

"I see. Yes, you sound very busy," Coleman drawled.

"Okay, okay, what do you want, then?" I asked.

"I'm just calling to check in. Can't friends do that from time to time?"

"And are we friends?" I asked him.

"You hurt me, Cassie," he answered. "After everything we've been through, you question the validity of your friendship? Tsk tsk. Some friend you are."

I rolled my eyes and sank deeper into my pillow. "I apologize, your highness."

"I'll consider forgiving you," he said, and I could imagine his green eyes lighting up with mischief.

"Thank goodness. I don't know how I'll sleep at night, otherwise."

"What can I say? I am generosity himself."

The conversation lulled for a few seconds. "So, why did you call?" I asked him, rolling onto my side with my phone sandwiched between the pillow and my face.

"I told you—I'm just checking in." His voice was light, casual.

"Did your mom put your up to this?" I asked, still quite skeptical of his calling me. Sure, we were sort of friends, ish, but even Lydia wasn't calling me all the time, and she was my best friend. She was busy in school and I was busy abroad—didn't Coleman have things to do?

"Why would my mother want me to call you?" he asked as though the idea was completely ridiculous.

"You know, she didn't exactly seem too peachy keen about me going on a trip to see Calista's not-fiancé," I said.

He didn't say anything for a second, then sighed. "Okay, you got me. My mom made me call you."

"I knew it!" I cried, though the victory of my having guessed correctly was quickly overshadowed by a rather sinking feeling—Queen Klara is not happy with me. I genuinely liked Klara, and I didn't want to get on her bad side for multiple reasons. Besides all that, however, it was less fun to be called because someone's mom made you. "Is she, um, what did she want you to say to me?" I asked more quietly.

"I'm kidding, Cass. My mum didn't ask me to call you. You're quite strange, you know that?"

"I'm the strange one?" I cried. "You're the one calling me!"

"And you act as if it's the strangest thing in the world for friends to call one another. Have you never had friends before? Hmm, in that case, maybe you and Nikky are meant to be."

"I've had friends before!" I retorted with a slight chuckle. While he poked fun at me, it wasn't the sort of teasing that actually made you feel made bad nor that actually riled you up and made you genuinely upset. It was weirdly funny. "It's just I didn't expect you to call me so much." I sat up and sat cross-legged. "Do you miss me, Coleman?" I asked, my voice becoming almost babyish so as to tease him.

"I do, actually," he said simply. Suddenly, I sat very still—I hadn't expected such a clear answer. I figured there'd be dodging and countering, not a simple admission that he missed me. My heart seemed to stop for a second at his words.